With two weeks to prepare for the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs the Florida Gators laid an egg Saturday. It will likely be the last time that Jim McElwain coaches the Gators and it should be.
The Bulldogs rushed out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, scoring three times on their first eight plays from scrimmage. Florida looked outmatched on the field and was certainly outcoached — a theme for McElwain and his coaching staff when they face quality opponents.
“At the end of the day, we were all brought here to win, and we haven’t done it,” McElwain said after the loss.
The week was marred from the onset with Jim McElwain erroneously reporting that he, his family and players had received death threats. That statement, which came after an innocuous question about is he and his coaches deserve more credit. A less than supporting statement followed that up from the University Athletic Association.
The entire situation was so bungled on both sides that by the time the game kicked off there were already reports that Florida was looking for ways around McElwain’s buyout — which would pay him $2.5 million dollars a year through 2022. The noise was so loud that McElwain had to address his team before kickoff.
“I was made aware of the stuff right before we walked into pregame meal was the first time I heard anything of that nature and I talked to (the team) immediately right there that,” he said. “’We’ll see. That’s the first I heard of it.'”
It’s the situation and scenario caused completely by a paranoid head coach that is feeling the pressure of a 3-4 season with no light at the end of the tunnel. McElwain’s offense, the reason he’s even in Gainesville, has been putrid. Florida threw for 66 yards and almost had its 368 games without a shutout streak ended if not for a late fourth quarter score. The 66 passing yards are the lowest total since Florida threw for 60 yards against South Carolina in 2014. Will Muschamp was fired the following day.
He’s been able to lean on getting to Atlanta, by beating up on a weak SEC East, but that excuse is done. Florida fell to 3-3 in the SEC and Georgia can clinch the SEC East next week with a win over South Carolina at home.
The Gators have regressed.
That would be one thing but McElwain’s actions on Monday put even more strain on an already precarious relationship with the administration at Florida. He tarnished the brand, which is much worse than losing football games.
Ultimately McElwain is a nice guy. He was loyal to a fault. He loved his players and they loved him back.
“I think he’s a great coach and he cares about his players, and it goes beyond football,” quarterback Feleipe Franks said. “Ya know he does a great job obviously of coaching, but it goes beyond football as well.”
At the end of the day he wasn’t and still isn’t a good fit at the University of Florida. Fans grew weary of his shtick at press conferences and boosters weren’t ready to cut checks for the estimated $100 million dollars in stadium renovations that are being planned at Florida.
McElwain may be a great coach. He may find success elsewhere down the road but he made his bed Monday when he brought up death threats and refused to, even behind closed doors with his administration, give any credible evidence or credence to the claims.
His time is done at Florida and he only has himself to blame.
Loyal to the players, maybe “his” players. He wasn’t very loyal to Will Grier was he? Couldn’t be loyal to a quarterback he didn’t recruit and give him a second chance. Guess now he’s starting to see how that feels by a Florida AD who didn’t hire him.